Tesla Faces $51 Million Claim After Factory Robot Knocks Out Employee

According to foreign media reports, a robotics technician has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, claiming $51 million in damages after being severely injured by a robot at Tesla's Fremont factory in California, USA. The lawsuit states that the robot, which had been moved from its regular position, struck Peter Hinterdobler without any warning. According to the civil complaint filed by this 50-year-old employee, the plaintiff stated that at the time of the accident, he was assisting an engineer in dismantling the robot. Peter Hinterdobler is currently seeking compensation for damages to cover medical expenses and other related costs.

Image source: Tesla

Peter Hinterdobler stated in his complaint, "When the engineer attempted to disassemble the motor of the robot's base to access its internal cable components, the robot's mechanical arm suddenly and forcefully ejected without any warning. This ejection was aided by the power of the mechanical arm itself, as well as the force of approximately 8,000 pounds of counterweight."

The lawsuit states that the robotic arm "struck Peter Hinterdobler with great force, causing him to fall to the ground, lose consciousness, and suffer multiple other injuries." According to the accompanying damage claim, his medical expenses have reached $1 million since the accident occurred in July 2023, with an expected additional cost of at least $6 million in the future.

Peter Hinterdobler's compensation claims specifically include: $20 million for pain, suffering, and inconvenience; $10 million for emotional distress; $1 million for lost earnings to date; $8 million for loss of future earning capacity; and $5 million for past and future household services expenses.

Peter Hinterdobler's attorney stated that the compensation amounts may change. Tesla and the robotics company FANUC are both listed as defendants. The lawsuit was initially filed in California state court in August and was transferred to the U.S. Federal Court in Oakland, California, on August 19.

At the same time, in the complaint, Peter Hinterdobler also alleged that Tesla "has the responsibility to exercise reasonable care towards the plaintiff in the ownership, operation, maintenance, regulation, training, inspection, repair, modification, research and development, design, manufacturing, warning, and use of the FANUC robot that caused the injury."

The complaint states: "This obligation includes, but is not limited to, compliance with industry standards, safety standards, statutes, regulations, and rules aimed at enhancing workplace safety and preventing the type of injuries suffered by the plaintiff."

The complaint further alleges that Tesla "failed to ensure that the robot was safely powered off, securely fixed, and in a stable condition before allowing the plaintiff to assist with the disassembly work." Meanwhile, the complaint states that Fanuc should be held responsible for "negligence in robot design" and "failure to provide adequate safety instructions," and accuses the machine of "malfunctioning in a dangerous and unexpected manner."

Peter Hinterdobler is seeking general damages, punitive damages, and exemplary damages, as well as special damages (covering lost income, medical expenses, and diminished earning capacity), along with attorney's fees and court costs, all of which are to be determined by the jury.